Oakland Tudor renovated with equal parts classic and quirky

1of16The renovated kitchen in Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman’s Tudor-style home in the Crocker Highlands area of Oakland. In keeping with their perception of the home’s era, the couple chose soapstone counters, mini subway tiles for the backsplash, a farmhouse sink, bead-board surfaces and terra-cotta floor tiles.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

2of16Nathan Waldon in the doorway of the 1926 Tudor-style home in Oakland that he and his partner, Tom Berkelman, renovated.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

3of16Cocktail cart in front of the gallery wall in the home of Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman of Oakland. The art in the living room consists of 1920s photographs and etchings, all in muted tones, and in antique frames.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

4of16The living room, anchored by a pair of Chesterfield sofas upholstered in Belgian linen, is the most formal room in the house. The fireplace is original; the mantel was stained a darker tone to make it more of a focal point. The owners jokingly call it “Ricardo’s room,” because it’s a favorite spot of one of their Chihuahuas.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

5of16A mirror in the 1926 Oakland home of Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman features a striking starburst detail. A closer look reveals it’s made of sharpened pencils.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

6of16The pencil mirror in the dining room in the home of Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman adds a touch of whimsy.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

7of16The first-floor bathroom in the Oakland home of Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman. The black walls, ceiling, window trim and moldings impart a sense of opulence that pairs well with the Carrara marble floor and shower tiles. The bead board carries over from the kitchen.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

8of16The dining room with table and formal chairs. The pendant lamp, which features a clover motif, is a reproduction.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

9of16The breakfast table in the home of Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

10of16Ricardo, a Chihuahua and one of the couple’s three dogs, poses with a whimsical multi-faced porcelain stool in the living room of Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman’s Tudor-style home in the Crocker Highlands area of Oakland.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

11of16One of the original curtain rods in the renovated 1926 home of Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman of Oakland.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

12of16Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman traveled to Provence, France, during the kitchen renovation and decided on the blue Dutch color for the door that leads outside. In Provence, says Waldon, “everyone had a blue door or blue shutters. I thought it was charming.”Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

13of16Metal bedroom dresser in the home of Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman of Oakland.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

14of16The downstairs bathroom with marble basket-weave mosaic tile in the home of Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman in Oakland.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

15of16Cocktail cart and screen in the living room in the home of Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman of Oakland.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

16of16One of the bedrooms in the home of Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman of Oakland.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

When Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman first toured the Crocker Highlands, Oakland, house that would become their home, it was in dire need of TLC.

“It was an absolute disaster,” says Waldon, rattling off a succession of problems.

The roof was shot. There was mold on the ceiling. Years of smoke damage were evident. The window frames had rotted. The floors also had rotted and were layered in filth.

“Literally, going through the open house, people were covering their noses because it smelled so bad,” he says, looking back 13 years. “The insurance company tried to cancel us because we had no windows — just plywood.”

But the real-estate market was hot back then, too. After beating out a dozen other offers, Waldon and Berkelman started the metamorphosis.

They first had to address the roof and the plywood windows. Then the hardwood contractor and the painters came in. New copper spouts and gutters were installed. Within six weeks, when the couple moved in, it was “fairly livable,” says Waldon. “Within six months, it was pretty.”

Adds Berkelman: “The nice thing about the house was: It was really messed up, but it was mostly superficial. Structurally, it was fine.”

The 1926 dwelling, which Oakland’s Historic Alliance considers a Tudor-style, has had only a handful of owners. “Nothing had been done except a bad remodel of the kitchen,” Waldon observes.

So he and Berkelman recently completed their own kitchen makeover. In keeping with their perception of the home’s era, they chose soapstone counters, mini subway tiles for the backsplash, a farmhouse sink, bead-board surfaces and terra-cotta floor tiles.

Waldon took the lead on the kitchen scheme, as well as the rest of the home’s 2,600 square feet. A designer for the watch brand Fossil, he and Berkelman, a scientist, co-founded the decor, gifts and accessories shop Nathan & Co.; there are two locations in Oakland.

“I love homes and I love stuff and I love to shop and I love people,” says Waldon of the impetus for the business, which highlights his affinity for “fun, quirky, usable items.”

He points to a sandwich-shaped sponge that he stocks to illustrate a point: “You need a sponge. So it might as well be a fun sponge. It makes me smile every time I have to wipe up the counter.”

The most formal composition in the house is the living room, which the homeowners admit they don’t use much. “It’s Ricardo’s room,” Waldon jokes, referring to one of the two Chihuahuas in residence. (The other is Porter; their third dog, Charlie, is a dachshund.)

The space is anchored by a pair of Chesterfield sofas upholstered in Belgian linen. The fireplace is original; the mantel was stained a darker tone to make it more of a focal point.

“I like using the house as a laboratory for the stores,” says Waldon. “If I like it and can use it, most likely, it will sell well in the stores.”

Waldon and Berkelman commissioned a local blacksmith to reproduce curtain rods and rings for the living and dining rooms from a set they stumbled upon while cleaning out a crawlspace.

The dining room’s pendant lamp, which features a clover motif, is also a reproduction. According to the couple, the original design was part of a Julia Morgan building; replicas are sold through Ohmega Salvage in Berkeley.

The home’s four bedrooms are all upstairs. Among them is a guestroom with a bed that dates back to the early 1920s.

“I like that it’s delicate, because iron beds can be big and heavy, and this one is so sweet,” says Waldon. He and Berkelman procured it from an antiques store in the Niles District of Fremont. The room’s French doors, which lead to a small balcony, were another Ohmega Salvage find.

Given their propensity for pieces with a bit of history, it’s no surprise that Waldon’s favorite elements in the house include the arched front door and the stairwell embellished with a leaded-glass window.

“I smile every single time I see the maid’s button,” he notes. “I push it expecting someone to come running to see what I need. Instead, I get three little dogs all barking!”

The plan: Two floors that total about 2,600 square feet — including four upstairs bedrooms, three bathrooms.

The style: “Friendly, comfortable, classical with a twist of whimsy.”

Take a tour: This spring, Waldon and Berkelman’s house will be included in the Heart of the Home Tour, which is organized by the Children’s Support League of the East Bay. For more information, visit: www.wehelpkids.org.

Inspired decor

In decorating their Oakland abode, Nathan Waldon and Tom Berkelman drew inspiration from a range of sources, including Pinterest boards, their own travels and the era of their house.

French accent: During the kitchen renovation, the couple traveled to France’s Provence region. Hence, the area’s palette is channeled here — for example, with the sage-green bead board and blue Dutch door that leads outside. “I don’t even like blue,” Waldon says, “but I liked it in Provence, where everyone had a blue door or blue shutters. I thought it was charming.”

Black magic: Although the rest of the ground floor features white walls, Waldon wanted a cozier feel in the bathroom. The black walls, window trim and moldings impart a sense of opulence that pairs well with the Carrara marble floor and shower tiles. The bead board — which carries over from the kitchen — keeps the space feeling relaxed.

Practice patience: “I like rooms that develop over time,” says Waldon. “I don’t want it to seem like we just went and bought everything at once.” Indeed, his and Berkelman’s furnishings were acquired throughout their 25-year relationship. The kitchen table and chairs are among the first pieces they purchased together. “They’re pretty beat up,” says Berkelman. The seat cushions have been re-covered numerous times; their current incarnation is a black-and-white toile.

Embrace the offbeat: At first glance, the interior seems a tad formal; upon closer inspection, though, moments of whimsy reveal themselves. For example, beside one of the living room’s Chesterfield sofas is a porcelain stool with four faces on it, each depicting a different expression. In the dining room, the border of a starburst-shaped mirror is comprised of dozens of sharpened pencils.

Artful execution: While gallery walls have become a decorating trend, Waldon and Berkelman achieved an individualized look by staying true to their aesthetic, which is characterized by a fondness for things with a patina. The cluster of art in their living room consists of 1920s photographs and etchings, all in muted tones; their antique frames further lend a timeworn quality. “I don’t believe in changing frames,” Waldon insists.

Anh-Minh Le grew up reading The San Francisco Chronicle and started freelancing for her hometown daily in 2006. She contributes primarily to the Home & Garden section. She has written about the residences of local personalities – from celebrity chefs to professional athletes – as well as design trends and events. She also pens the Stylemaker Spotlight, a weekly column that profiles individuals and businesses in the art, crafting, design and decorating communities.

She is an alumna of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and lives on the Peninsula.